Artist Snapshot: Christina Li
NAME: Christina Li
SCHOOL: CC ‘24
GENRE: Pop
WHAT THEY DO: Singer-Songwriter, Producer
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What’s your songwriting process like?
In the past I mostly just wrote songs by sitting down with a guitar or piano, but recently I’ve felt stuck, so I’m thinking of experimenting with new ways of writing! One way I want to try is to experiment with different ‘starting instruments’: instead of starting with a guitar chord progression, I’ll start with a beat or a bass line. This line of thinking then leads me to use different parts of my mind to fill the song’s gaps.
I also have been trying to improve my lyrics! I personally love lyrics with short phrases packed with a lot of meaning, so these days whenever a phrase perks my attention I write it down immediately in my notes or record it as a melody or rhythm into voice memos. Now, it’s just a matter of translating those ideas into musical sentences and eventually full songs.
What inspires your music/where do you draw creative inspiration from?
For many of the songs I’m writing these days, I like to get inspired by details. For example, it’s a daunting task to write a song about the idea of love; instead, I find it much more approachable and authentic to write about one object, one sensation, one thought… Once I have the details, I feel like I’m telling a story that is specific to me and what I’m writing about, that I can then translate into a fuller story. The meaning is in the details.
Who is one artist/group you look up to?
I’m a big fan of Red Velvet. They’re a five-member K-Pop girl group that makes a HUGE variety of music, though they mostly ground themselves in pop and r&b. Like many other K-Pop groups, their songs are written by other songwriters and producers around the world, so they have a lot of eccentric variety. But even though they have a reputation for always trying the unpredictable (always taking twists and turns in their music), they still have a signature, unmistakable sound that is so Red Velvet. I just love that, and I feel like a lot of that genre exploration has manifested in my music, though I’m still piecing together my sound. Their arrangements, harmonies, and vocals are also just… chef’s kiss. I highly recommend!
What are some of your first memories of making music? How did you decide this was something you wanted to pursue?
I took classical piano and voice lessons growing up, but I think I fell in love with music more from singing covers and performing with friends in middle school. As I grew older, music just stuck with me! In high school, I got addicted to learning instruments, playing different styles, and joining any club, class or ensemble that would let me in to learn and play. I found my confidence and my identity through music, which I realized immediately when I started writing my own music. Now, I know that music is what I want to pursue at Columbia but also beyond in the larger music industry, in whatever capacity presented. This whole path is definitely scary and uncertain, but it’s equally exciting and I can’t wait to see where these next three years at Columbia take me!
What’s something you’re working on, or are excited to start working on?
I’ve been sort of in a rut with my music recently, having started countless songs but always getting distracted or frustrated with myself and not finishing. It’s weird, because the task of writing the songs is both daunting and exciting, and yet I can’t get myself to work on them. With all these song ideas in my voice memos, notes, and Logic sessions, I think I’m looking forward to settling down and starting dedicating more of my time to them. So I’m just excited to get my momentum back again, because then these songs will finally be on the roll!
Is there anyone you’d like to collaborate with? Who and why?
There are so many incredible artists here at Columbia, and I feel like I want to get to know and play with everyone. I actually compiled a list recently of all these people, including musicians I know of from outside of Columbia! For starters, WILCHAI (a.k.a Steph Chow) is someone I just got to know and hugely admire. I really want to jam with her and maybe work on a song or two! Another is one of my close friends KAIYI (a.k.a Gloria Hui), who is such an amazing, talented, show-stopping producer. I just can’t wait to meet everyone in person and actually get to make music together!
What are your top 3 favorite albums of all time?
The Perfect Red Velvet by Red Velvet, Djesse Vol 3 by Jacob Collier, and (this is an EP) This Thing Called Living by Eloise
How has the pandemic affected your music/process?
I feel like the first few months of the pandemic were helpful for me as a musician: I suddenly had so much more time- time that I used well to work on and release my first EP, “Strings”! But since my first release, I’ve really been struggling. A large part of it is starting college and losing a lot of the free time I had, but another part of it is the pandemic! I feel like I’m missing a lot of the music and performing community at Columbia, and I haven’t been able to grow as a musician as such. Before coming to Columbia, I wanted to join bands, write songs, record, and most importantly learn from all the amazing talent here. Though, I’ve still been able to meet and talk to many musicians, and hopefully I’ll be able to collaborate with many of them soon virtually!
What do you enjoy most about being an artist?
Probably that no matter what I’m doing or where I am, I always have my songs as a place where I can toss in all my jumbled up feelings and thoughts. It’s kind of weird- I’ll start feeling overwhelmed or anxious, and one of my first thoughts is to write what I’m feeling down so that I can remember and write a song about it later. But I also feel like it’s really cool: I’m able to channel all this mess into something that can sit, grow, and become something that others can digest and appreciate in the future.
On a more general note, I’ve always been drawn to music because music is an experience that you can share with everyone around you. That’s why these days have been rough, as I’m sure all other musicians feel too, because we’re missing that feeling of standing on a stage, grooving in tandem with your friends, and just relishing in the feeling of sharing a piece of you with the world watching.
